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MTV to celebrate Mandela and ‘Staying Alive Campaign’ on 18 July
MUMBAI: MTV has announced a one-hour special Mandela: A Staying Alive Special to be aired in July. The former South African President, Nelson Mandela, has been actively involved in the battle against the Aids menace. This year on 2 February, The Mandela SOS Concert was held on Robben’s Island in South Africa.
In India, the special will air on 18 July at 2 pm and repeats on 24 July at 10.30 pm. Globally too the event wil air on 18 July. An official release informs that the special is also being offered rights free to broadcasters worldwide.
The show will mark the 2003 debut of the Staying Alive HIV/AIDS awareness campaign, as well as Mandela’s 85th birthday..
The show will allow viewers to gain a perspective on Mandela’s life and its unique trajectory. The special will also profile several young people from diverse backgrounds who will travel to Johannesburg to meet Mandela.
They discuss topics with him such as HIV/AIDS awareness, discrimination, war and more. The young people involved in the special include: Luyombya Henry Hudson from Kampala, Uganda in Africa.
Henry tested positive for HIV two years ago, getting tested after the death of his father and his elder brother who both died of AIDS. Because his family and community around him has been hit so hard by HIV, Henry has been driven to take up the cause of fighting the spread of HIV/AIDS, not just in Uganda but globally. Henry wants to meet Nelson Mandela to ask him where he found the faith and personal strength to continue his struggle for freedom in the face of the hopelessness he surely must have felt during his 27 years in prison.
Mandela has been quoted in the release saying, “With half of all new HIV infections among those under 25 years old and a vast array of complicated issues facing them, young people have more tough decisions to make in their lives today than at any other time in history.”
“I look forward to meeting the young people travelling to Johannesburg to participate in MTV’s programme to talk about these important issues, as well as to discuss how to use the knowledge that history has given us as a guide on how to plan for the future.”.
Last year, MTV produced the acclaimed Staying Alive HIV/AIDS awareness campaign in partnership with Levi’s Jeans, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Paul G. Allen Charitable Foundation, Population Services International’s YouthAIDS, UNAIDS, the Kaiser Family Foundation and the YouthNet program spearheaded by Family Health International. The multimedia campaign included a concert special, Staying Alive: A Global Forum on HIV/AIDS featuring former US President Bill Clinton,
News Broadcasting
Induction cooktop demand spikes 30× amid LPG supply concerns
Supply worries linked to West Asia tensions push households and restaurants to turn to electric cooking alternatives
MUMBAI: As geopolitical tensions in West Asia ripple through global energy supply chains, the familiar blue flame in Indian kitchens is facing an unexpected challenger: electricity.
What began as concerns over the availability of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has quickly evolved into a technology-driven shift in cooking habits. Households across India are increasingly turning to induction cooktops and other electric appliances, initially as a backup but now, for many, a necessity.
A sudden surge in demand
Recent data from quick-commerce and grocery platform BigBasket highlights the scale of the shift. According to Seshu Kumar Tirumala, the company’s chief buying and merchandising officer, demand for induction cooktops has risen dramatically.
“Induction cooktops have seen a significant surge in demand, recording a fivefold jump on 10 March and a thirtyfold spike on 11 March,” Tirumala said.
The increase stands out sharply when compared with broader kitchen appliance trends. Most appliance categories are growing within 10 per cent of their typical demand levels, while induction cooktops have witnessed explosive growth as households rush to secure an alternative cooking option.
Major e-commerce platforms including Amazon and Flipkart have reported rising searches and orders for induction stoves. Quick-commerce apps such as Blinkit and Zepto have also witnessed stock shortages in major metropolitan areas including Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
What was once considered a convenient appliance for hostels, small kitchens or occasional use has suddenly become an essential addition in many homes.
A crisis thousands of miles away
The trigger for this shift lies far beyond India’s kitchens.
Escalating conflict in the Middle East has disrupted shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical energy corridors. Nearly 85 to 90 per cent of India’s LPG imports pass through this narrow waterway, making the country particularly vulnerable to supply disruptions.
The ripple effects have been swift.
India currently meets roughly 60 per cent of its LPG demand through imports, and tightening global supply has already begun to affect domestic availability and prices.
Earlier this month, the price of domestic LPG cylinders increased by Rs 60, while commercial cylinders rose by more than Rs 114.
To discourage panic buying and hoarding, the government has also extended the mandatory waiting period between domestic refill bookings from 21 days to 25 days.
Restaurants feel the pressure
The strain is not limited to households. Restaurants, hotels and roadside eateries are also grappling with supply constraints as commercial LPG availability tightens under restrictions imposed through the Essential Commodities Act.
In cities such as Bengaluru and Chennai, restaurant associations report that commercial LPG availability has dropped by as much as 75 per cent, forcing many establishments to rethink their kitchen operations.
Some restaurants have reduced menu offerings, while others are rapidly installing high-efficiency induction systems, creating hybrid kitchens where electricity now shares the workload with gas.
For smaller eateries and roadside dhabas, the shift is less about sustainability and more about survival.
A potential structural shift
The government has maintained that there is no nationwide LPG crisis and has directed refineries to increase production to stabilise supply.
Nevertheless, the developments of March 2026 may already be triggering a longer-term behavioural shift.
For decades, LPG has been the backbone of cooking in Indian households. However, recent disruptions have highlighted the risks of relying on a single fuel source.
Increasingly, households appear to be hedging against uncertainty by adopting electric cooking options to guard against price volatility and delivery delays.
If the current trend continues, the induction cooktop, once viewed as a niche appliance, could emerge as a quiet symbol of India’s evolving kitchen economy.
